“I am strictly following the instructions contained in these resolutions in my department as well as with my colleagues.”

— VRAJ BHAKTI VILAS
      Defending ISKCON New Delhi

CHAKRA (Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK) - October 1, 1999: The head pujari [priest] and coordinator of Srila Prabhupada’s Centennial celebrations in New Delhi denies that photos of Gopal Krishna Goswami are kept on the altar either during arati or at any other time. He was replying to allegations that ISKCON New Delhi was not following ISKCON law regarding the photos.

“I am strictly following the instructions contained in these resolutions in my Department as well as with my colleagues,” says Vraj Bhakti Vilas dasa.

Vraj Bhakti Vilas  says that it is his duty to see the instructions of Srila Prabhupada and those of the GBC are followed in New Delhi. “I have given strict instructions to the serving pujaris in the matter,” he says.

Regarding addressing of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja as Bhagavadpada, Vraj Bhakti Vilas admits that some disciples from the temple or from the congregation “inadvertently address him as such - it is due to the long practice which they had been following earlier.” At that time, he says he has personally heard and observed Gopal Krishna Maharaja “chastising them and asking them not to address him as Bhagavadpada.”

Vraj Bhakti Vilas was responding to an article on posted a few days ago on CHAKRA by Nimai Nitai dasa. “It appears to be a fictitious name,” says Vraj Bhakti Vilas. “Whoever it is has never discussed anything about these allegations with the authorities of the temple and I am of the personal opinion that this is work of a dissatisfied and disgruntled devotee.”

Vraj Bhakti Vilas says he is upset by the “unfounded and false allegations.”

Easy access to computer technology, he says, has given many people opportunities to misuse the media to criticize devotees, which is an offense and harmful to individuals and the society.

Despite the claims of Vraj Bhakti Vilas dasa, however, another CHAKRA informer has reported that a picture of Gopal Krsna Maharaja was sitting on the altar even though there was no arati going on as recently as last March. Although new resolutions about guru standards were passed by the GBC body earlier this year, “the ones prohibiting current guru pictures on the altars between aratis had been in effect for years,” says our informer.

“It is of course entirely possible that they’ve gotten their act together since then, but I saw with my own eyes the fact that they didn’t particularly seem to care about this kind of stuff just a few months ago. Hopefully, this means they are now aware of the fact that the world is watching them.”

© CHAKRA 1st-Oct-1999

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